Comments | papilio_luna: Two Things and a Monster

papilio_luna

Two Things and a Monster

Mar 31, 2011 14:50

I. WHY IS IT SNOWING. WHAT IS GOING ON. IT IS ALMOST APRIL. HALP!

II. Watson was on campus yesterday and we took a lab field trip to go see the lead scientist behind it talk, and also to see Watson himself mop the floor with an assortment of CMU and Pitt students at Jeopardy. That is, in the words of the Doctor, some fearsome technology. I mean, ( Read more... )

uk trip 2011 has a tag now

Comments 6

wickedgillie March 31 2011, 19:06:22 UTC

I was on the stage crew of a period-set Frankenstein back in college. I have to say, what you described is absolutely NOTHING like the play we produced. I wonder if I have anything in the attic shedding light on who wrote our produced version? I could be very biased, but I feel our Victor managed to keep the audience's empathy throughout without delving into the OMG!Manpain.

So sorry it was a disappointment. :(

papilio_luna March 31 2011, 20:14:53 UTC

I've seen other fairly straightforward (meaning: in-period, linear, hewing closely to the book, non-experimental) productions of Frankentstein adaptations. I think Dave maybe even put one on when he was a theatre teacher?

This is the risk you take with seeing live theatre, though, so I don't regret that I went. I will say though that of the three productions from the National this season that I've seen, I've judged two of them to be quite shallow. I wonder if I'm just way out of step with popular dramatic aesthetics or something.

spikewriter March 31 2011, 19:57:28 UTC

I'm seeing the NT Live with BC as Victor tonight -- we'd initially wanted to try for the screening with him as the monster, but it didn't work out. I'll let you know my reaction, and the husband's as he is extremely uncomfortable about some things like this. He doesn't buy into the whole manpain thing, so his reaction will be very interesting.

papilio_luna March 31 2011, 20:11:15 UTC

I'll be curious to hear your thoughts. I feel like I am being way uncharitable and possibly quite wrong here, and I was way more fatigued than anyone sitting in a theatre really should be, but still... it left such an extremely bad taste in my mouth.

spikewriter April 1 2011, 06:33:00 UTC

I need to process them and write them out, but I have to say that while I did not have your reaction, I would hardly declare it "a triumph." At one point, I leaned over to the husband while Victor was carrying on and whispered, "Narcissistic twit."

We did not see Johnny Lee Miller's todger as he wore a loincloth for the performance, as did the other creature. Also, while they didn't restage the bedroom sequence, they opted for some camera work that made it seem not that much in-you-face. Also, while she didn't have much development, I have to say in that one scene, her character displays more courage than Victor does in the entire play. Again, narcissistic twit.

And, no, the husband and I have agreed there wasn't any reason for the steam engine or the Martha Graham number that went with it.

papilio_luna April 1 2011, 20:15:24 UTC

I had heard something about the nudity being gone from the filmed nights, which I find kind of funny.

I found this New York Times review that probably more even-handedly sums up my own thoughts, without the lingering taste of "ugghhhhh" that is now tending to permeate my memories of the whole thing.

lol the Martha Graham number... what the hell even was that? I forgot all about it. It happens early enough on that I think I was sitting there going, "O...kay. So it's to be a musical then?"